Internal-combustion engine



July 14, 192 5. 1,545,517

A. L. POWELL INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed Feb. 2, 1921 C e V C 12 State of Montana,

mama July 14,1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT- OFFICE.

anvm L. POWELL, or minus crr'r, non'rnm, nssrcuon ro run A. L. rowan. rowan 00.. me, or nuns crrr, momma, a sour conroiwrn.

INTEBNAL-GQHBUSTION ENGINE.

Application fled February 2, 1921. Serial Il'o. 441,969. 7

To all whom it may comm:

Be it known that I, ALVAH L. Pownu., citizen or the United States residing at Miles City, in the county of Custer and have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Internal- Combustion Engines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements 1n internal combustion engines in which I provide a novel means of applying the power to a crank shaft on each impulse, obtaining thereby simultaneous thrusts in opposite directions, and I further provide for increasing the certaintyof firing and of obtaining power from charges often lost in a running en e. In the accompanying drawmgsig. 1 shows'my improvement in an engine of the four cycle type. The view is a sectional elevation.

Fig. 2 is the same, for a two. cycle engine.

Figs. 3 and 4 are modifications of my improvement. y

In Fig. 1 a cylinder A is mounted on stationary gluide bars, A, by means of lugs A, A whic project from t e walls of the cylinder A. The lu A, A, are slidably mounted on to said ars A. In lugs A, A, are fitted pins, A, which engage slides A, A, slidably mounted on bars A. The cylinder A is thus made movable on said bars. On pins A A, are fitted the ends of connecting rods, A, the opposite ends being fitted to cranks, A, A, y any conventlonal means. a power shaft, A, mounted in bearings, preferably attached to the stationary bars A, A, as shown at B.

In cylinder A there is shown a slidable piston, B from which a rod, B, extends to a crank, B. The rod, B is supported by a wrist pin, B, in the iston B and is attached to the crank by conventional means. The crank B forms part of shaft A, but it will be noted in Fig. 1 that the crank B lies in the same plane with, but extends in the opposite direction from, the cranks A, A.

In the head of cylinder A are tubes, B, B, in which are fitted stationary tubes B,

B. These tubes have packing rings asshown at B, Fig. 1, to insure tightness.

The tubes B,-B, are slidable in relation to tubes B, B. In the cylinder A, a check valve, C, is fitted to control the entrance to Cranks A form part of.

On outstro eof iston B the shaft A rotates by reason 0 the movement of connectmg rod B. As crank B movesdownward, cranks A, A, move upward. Cylinder A follows the reciprocating action of cranks A, A, and crank rods A, A", its supportmg members sliding on the station ary bars A, A. Piston and cylinder therefore recede from each other on outstroke and approach each other on instroke.' Let 1t be assumed that a compressed charge is between piston B and head of cylinder A, 1n the position given in Fig. 1. Ignition occurring, piston and cylinder move in opposite directions, the explosive eflect acting on each. Piston B causes crank B to move downward, while cylinder A causes cranks A, A", to move upward. The power effect is therefore evenly divided and at opposite oints of stroke, a perfect balancing efi'ect being obtained. At end of outstroke exhaust valve 0 opens and on return stroke the burnt charge is exhausted and driven out by the movement of piston B and cylinder A. On next outstroke valve O closes and valve O opens, an explosive charge entering the cylinder A through tubes B, B". On the succeeding stroke this charge is compressed by the relative movements of cylinder and piston. Explosion takes place as the cranks pass over the dead centers, on the crank circle. It will be noted that check valve 0 cuts off access to tubes B", B", durin compression and explosion, but exhaust tu s B, B- are controlled by the operable valve C only.

In Fig. 2 I show an application of my improvement to a two cycle engine. In this the fuel mixture enters by a tube D, 'ointed and slidable over another D and exaust takes place through jointed and slidable tubes D, D. The necessary intake valve is not shown.

In Fig. 3 I show a further modification of my mprovement. In this I interpose between a movable piston E and the head of a movable cylinder E a floating head, E, loosely fitted in cylinder. This head, E, Fig. 3, has lugs, E, E, on each end that act as spacing bars, and prevent the head from seatng on the end of the piston, or on the-head of the cylinder E Ignition plugs E, E are inserted, one on each side of floating head, E Throu h this head there is a hole, E, of re atively small diameter.

The purpose of the head E is to insure perfect ignition and at the same time to keep the pressure on both movable bodies equal during firing. Thus it can be seen that if an\ imperfect charge is taken in one side of the head E and fails to be fired by its spark plug, the head E will hold the compression on this side a suflicient length of time to permit the same to be fired by the hot flame from the exploding chamber entering through the hole E even if the charge is weak. If this head E were omitted and an imperfect charge was taken in, the same would not be exploded even if the two spark plugs were provided. The hole E is made relatively small to prevent a sufiicient portion of the perfect charge from leaking through to the chamber having the imperfect charge during the time required for compression and firing thereof.

In Fig. 4 I show a stationary cylinder and two movable pistons, the combustion space divided by a floating head, E Fig. 4, similar, in all respects to that just described except for the absence of lugs, 1L,

E Instead, I provide a movement limiting means consisting of an enlarged dia meter of head (E fitting in a counterbored space, F. In this the head is limited by shoulders at each end of counterbore, as shown.

Although the specification describes an internal combustion engine it is evident that the structure shown would be operative with either steam or air.

What I believe is new and ask to have protected by Letters Patent is 1. In an engine, a pair of movable bodies, a floating head arranged between the movable bodies, means for introducing a combustible mixture on each side of the head, and ignition means arranged on each side of the head, said head having a relatively small port extending therethrough' 2. In an engine, a pair of movable bodies, a movable head between the bodies having a relatively small port therethrough, means for introducing a combustible mixture on each side of the head, and means for limiting the movement of the head to hold the 7 same in spaced relation to said bodies.

3. In an internal combustion engine, a reciprocatory cylinder, a piston mounted for reciprocatory movement in the cylinder, a movable head arranged intermediate the head of the cylinder and the piston, a spark plug carried by the cylinder positioned on one side of the head, a spark plug carried by the piston and arranged on the other side of the-head, a pair of exhaust and inlet pipes positioned on opposite sides of the head, pipes carried by the piston and cylinder slidably engaging the exhaust and inlet pipes, the head having a relatively small port extending therethrough, and spacing pins carried by the opposite faces of the head for engaging the piston and cylinder head.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

ALVAH L. POWELL. 

